Variable-speed gear.



. PATENTED'JUNE 19, 1906. R. W. WILSON & F. e. D. JOHNSTON.- VARIABLE SPEED GEAR.

APPLIGATION FILED DEO.9,'1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, PATEETE JENE 19, 1906. E. w; WILSON & E. G. D. JOHNSTON.

VARIABLE SPEED GEAR.

APPLICATION NE D DEC. 9, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ANDREW, B. mmuu ca. PfiOTmLIIHOGRAPHERS. WASHINGTON. B. c.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REGINALDWELLESLEY WILSON AND FRANCIS GAWEN DILLON JOHNSTON, OF NEWOASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND.

. VOARIABLVEI-SPEED GEAR.

Specification'of Letters Patent.

' Patented June 19, 1906;

Anplication filed December 9, 1905. Serial No. 291,056.

To aZZ whom) it may concern Be it known that we, REGINALD WELLES- LEY WILSON and .FRANOIS GAWEN DILLON I such as is suitable for bicycles, tricycles, mo-

tor-cars, and other machines; and its object is to provide a gear giving three forward speeds and a'reverse, the parts being all contained within a hub of the ty e in common T use with a motor-propelled cyc e.

The drive is transmitted by means of pawls which engage with ratchetteeth'cut 11 is a reverse-pawl.

on the faces of the planet-cage and of the internally toothed ring gearing with the planets, and means are provided for suppressing the action of one or more of the pawls to alter the gear. The reverse speed is obtained by a sliding ring of teeth engaging a reversepawl.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a longitudinal section; Fig. 2, a'section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking from right to left. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 looking to the right; Fig. 4, a section on the line 4 4 looking to the left, and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show details of the pawls.

a is the axle, having on'it the pimon a, meshing with planet-pinions a carried by a planet-cage a and meshing with internal teeth on the ring a The sprocket-wheel or other externallyrotated member'i. 6., the driving member of the gearis fast with a disk I), to which it is securedby the boss I). The disk is furnished with three pawls,the first, b engaging teeth on the planet-cage a the second, b engaging teeth on the ring a, while the third, The inside face of the disk I) is seen in Fig. 3 with the three pawls b b and If. These pawls are situated in recesses on the disk and can turn on trunnions I), being pressed out from the face of the disk by blade-springs b Passing through a hole in the trunnion of the pawl b is a bent finger 6 (see Fig. 5,) projecting out some way from the disk, and a spring b is coiled round the finger, as shown, one end being secured to the trunnion. The outer end of the finger can be acted on, as described below, to withdraw the pawl b from engagement with the cage a The hub'c carries the driven member of the gearviz. a disk 0, situated on the other side of the gear'and furnished with two pawls, the first, c engaging a second ring of teeth on the internally-toothed ring at and the second, a engaging a second ring of teeth on the planet-cage a springs c and turning on vt'runnions c. 6 is a separate view of the-pawl 0 a rod 0 passing through it, round which is wound a spring 0 having one end secured to the trunnion, while its outer end passes along Fig.

a slot in the disk and througha finger 0 The pawl 0 (see Fig. 7) has a spring 0 pass ing through it, one end being secured to the trunnion and the other passing along a slot in the disk and through a finger 0 These fin- This disk is seenin Fig. .4 wlth the pawls c and c? actuated by" This has gers c and 0 can both be operated to withdraw the pawls from engagement, as described below.

Inside the hub is a rm (1, whichcan be' ring of teeth (i upon it to engage the reverse- The ring (I is connected by rods (1 pawl 6 to a disk 6, carried by a nut e, moving on a uick screw-thread formed on a bush .2 on

t e axle.

ring a the driven pawlcf, and the hub 0, both the pawls b and 0 being overrun.

For the intermediate speed the nut e is moved in toward the gear, so that the face (i of the sliding ring (I disengages the drivingpawl b from the teeth on the cage a by pressin on thefinger b so that the drive now takes p ace from the driving-disk I), through the pawl I), to the ring a, the driven pawl 0 and the hub 0, the planets a revolvlng idly and the pawl c beingoverrun.

For the low speed the nut e is moved fartheir in, so that the driven pawl 0* is disengaged, owing to the disk 6 pressing on the finr 5 T For the high speed the drive takes place? ger 0 and the drive takes place from the disk I), through the driving-pawl 6 to the ring gaged, owing to the disk e pressing on the finger 0 and the teeth (1 on the sliding ring (1 en a e the reverse pawl b on the driving dis I), which can now no longer drive forward, but is driven by the hub, which provides a means of starting the motor by utilizing the movement of the vehicle when the gear is fitted to a motor-driven vehicle, or it allows of the motor being started by a handle or other means with the vehicle standing, as no forward drive can now be transmitted to the road-Wheels.

What We claim is 1. In a variable-speed gear, the combination of a driving member, an epicyclic gear, a driven member, means for connecting and disconnecting the driving and driven members to and from the epicyclic gear, and reverse means for directly connecting the driving and driven members, substantially as described.

, 2. In a variable-speed gear, the combination of a driving member, an epicyclic gear, a driven member, means for connecting and disconnecting the driving and driven members to and from the epicyclic gear, a pawl on the driving member, and a ring of teeth on the driven member capable of engaging the pawl, substantially as described.

3. In a variable-speed gear, the combination of a driving member, two pawls upon its face, an epicyclic gear, there being ratchetteeth upon both faces of the planet-cage and also upon both faces of the ring enga ing the planets, a driven member, two pawds upon its face, and means for withdrawing either one, two or three pawls from the paths of the ratchet-teeth, substantially as described.

4. In a variable-speed gear, the combination of a driving member, two forward pawls and one reverse-pawl upon its face, an epicyclic gear, there being ratchet-teeth upon both faces of the planet-cage and also u on both faces of the ring engaging the p anets, a

driven member, two pawls upon its face, means for withdrawing either one, two or three pawls from the paths of the ratchetteeth, a ring of teeth carried by the driven member, and means for sliding this ring into engagement with the reverse-pawl, substantially as described.

5. In a variable-speed gear, the combination of a driving member, an epicyclic gear, there being ratchet-teeth upon both faces of the planet-cage and also upon both, faces of the ring engaging the planets, three pawls on the driving member, the first engaging teeth on the cage, the second engaging teeth on the ring, and the third a reverse-pawl, a driven member, two pawls upon it, a ring carried by the driven member and adapted to withdraw the first-mentioned pawl, teeth upon the ring adapted to engage the reverse pawl, and means for moving the ring longitudinally, substantially as described.

6. In a variable-speed. gear, the combination of a drivin member, an epicyclic gear, there being ratdhet-teeth upon both faces of the planet-cage and also upon both faces of the ring engagin the planets, three pawls on the driving menfiaer, the first engaging teeth on the cage, the second engaging teeth on the ring, and the third a reverse-pawl, a driven. member, two pawls upon it, a ring carried by the driven member and adapted to withdraw the first-mentioned pawl, there being teeth upon the ring adapted to engage the reversepawl, a disk connected to the ring and adapted to withdraw the two pawls on the driven member, and means for moving the disk 1ongitudinally, substantially as described.

REGINALD VELLESLEY WILSON. FRANCIS GAWEN DILLON JOHNSTON.

W itnesses H. 0. Common, F. BERNARD. 

